The Monster Within

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

WHAT was with everyone stealing my stuff? This was getting ridiculous now. It was like someone had it in for me, knew I was a monster and was trying to mess with me.

“Was anything else missing?” I was determined to find some indication that this wasn’t all about me. That things like this happened to other people, too.

“Not that I could tell.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “There could be other stuff missing, though. I don’t really know what my cousin had in here. I didn’t look around that much when I put the ring in the desk.”

“But still.” I shook my head. “Why would someone come to a storage facility, pass up a bunch of stuff they could sell, and only take a ring that was hidden in a desk drawer? How would they even know it was there?”

“Good question.”

“Are you sure you put it in here? Is there any way you forgot what you did with it? That you lost it?”

“No!” He sighed, making an effort to calm down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I just don’t understand this. I put the ring here to keep it safe. I knew you’d want it back.”

I stared at him, hating that whoever was screwing with me was screwing with Ethan, too. He hadn’t done anything wrong. He didn’t deserve this. He wasn’t like me.

“What if…” I stopped, afraid that if I said what I was thinking, Ethan would get more upset. But I couldn’t help thinking the ring I found in that wooden box really was mine. It didn’t make sense. Ethan hadn’t put it there, but if my ring was missing from the storage facility, and two people had already broken into the cottage, it didn’t seem so strange that someone could’ve planted my ring in that box.

Ethan was staring at me, waiting for me to finish my thought.

“Sorry, this heat is messing with me.” I shook my head, pretending to brush off the heat. “I was going to say, what if we pack up some things to take back with us and stop for milkshakes on the way home? I could really use a cold drink.” Ethan used to bring me milkshakes all the time when I was sick. It was our thing.

“Sure.” He kissed the top of my head, which was easy considering he was 6’2” and I was only 5’6”.

I pointed out a few pieces of furniture to bring back to the cottage with us—an end table, an ottoman, and a leather chair. Ethan somehow managed to fit it all in the trunk. The nice thing about his car was it was a hatchback. The trunk was enormous; with the back seats down, it was almost like having a small truck.

“Anything else?” Ethan wiped his brow with the back of his hand.

I eyed the beanbag chair, knowing he was waiting for me to give the okay. “Take it.” I elbowed him in the ribs.

“You sure? It doesn’t exactly go with anything, and I know you don’t really like beanbag chairs.”

“I like you, though.” I smiled and reached up on my toes to kiss him lightly on the lips.

“Like?” he said, after we pulled apart.

“Sure. You’re my best friend, aren’t you?”

He cocked his head to the side. “Well, yeah, but I’m your boyfriend, too.”

“Duh. I know that.” He was fishing for reassurance. “You know I love you. I just wanted you to know I like you, too.”

“That’s what the beanbag chair is all about?”

“Yup, and don’t you forget it.” I playfully pushed him toward the storage garage as I got in the car.

Ethan had this amazing way of making me forget the bad things in my life. He’d done it when I had cancer, and he was doing it now, too. But I couldn’t forget for too long. Too much was a mystery to me right now, and after our outing this morning, I could add my missing ring to the list. And then there was George… The list I added him to was entirely too long.

After Ethan packed up the car, we hopped back on Route 80. Ethan said he knew an ice-cream shop not far from here. His aunt and uncle used to take him when he was a child. I stayed in the car while he went inside for our milkshakes.

He left the car running so I didn’t melt in the heat, and I let the air conditioning blow right on my face. I could see the huge line in the ice-cream shop. It looked like everyone within a twenty-mile radius had come out for ice cream. I couldn’t blame them. It was really hot today. It was going to be a while before Ethan got to the front of the line, so I turned on the radio and leaned my head back. Music filled the car, drowning out the thoughts in my head.

At some point, I started to drift off, but then I heard a strange buzzing sound. I sat up, realizing it was coming from the radio. It was one of those emergency alerts. I turned up the volume.

Please be advised that the heat index is unusually high for this time of year. Take extra precaution against heatstroke by staying hydrated and indoors as much as possible. There have been several incidents of heatrelated fatalities in the area.

I wondered if the police would think George was one of the heat-related fatalities. I switched the radio off, not wanting to hear any more. Even in the air-conditioned car, I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead. I opened the glove compartment to search for a napkin or tissue.

Ethan wasn’t exactly neat. The glove compartment was filled with gum wrappers and melted protein bars. Yuck! No napkins. I got out of the car and opened the trunk. Maybe there were some floating around back there under the furniture we’d packed. With Ethan, you never knew where you’d find things. But other than a lone sock, I didn’t find anything.

Back in the car, I searched the floor under my seat. Gross, but I was desperate. A piece of paper sliced my finger, and I jerked my hand back. “Stupid paper cut.” I squeezed my finger to stop the stinging. Then I reached my other hand under the seat again, wanting to know what had cut me.

I pulled out a yellow Post-it note and froze at the sight of it. Another one? I could see the black magic marker bleeding through it from the other side. My hand shook as I flipped the note over.

Put your ring back in the box.

My ring? I didn’t have my ring. Or did I? Did this mean the ring I had taken from the wooden box really was mine? And why would whoever was sending me these notes want me to put the ring back? If it was really mine, I wanted to wear it, not keep it tucked in a box out of sight.

All these questions clouded my mind, temporarily masking the fear that was creeping up my spine, but I couldn’t hold it off forever. The fact of the matter was that someone had been in Ethan’s car. Probably while we were at the storage facility. Maybe while I was stealing the life from George.

I wasn’t safe at home. Three break-ins had proven that. I wasn’t safe at school. Someone had gotten into my locker and left things for me twice. And now I wasn’t even safe in Ethan’s car. I wasn’t safe anywhere. Whoever was messing with me found me everywhere I went.

A tap at my window made me jump. I dropped the note on the floor and quickly covered it with my foot. Ethan was holding two milkshakes in his hands and balancing a large order of fries in the crook of his arm. I lowered the window and reached for the milkshakes, placing them in the cup holders in the middle console.

“Thanks. I was afraid I’d drop your fries if I tried to open the door.”

“Why’d you order fries when we’re headed to the diner? We can get them there for free. You know we have to conserve our money. We have bills now.” Ethan had managed to put the electric bill in a fake name, too, but we still had to pay it, or it would be shut off.

“I know, but Jackson threw me an extra twenty last night for bailing him out in the kitchen. He said cooks should make more than busboys.” He shrugged. “Besides, you love to eat fries with your vanilla shakes.”

I did. Most people thought it was gross to combine the two—I’d been known to dunk my fries right into my milkshakes—but I loved it.

While Ethan walked around the car and got in the driver’s seat, I grabbed the note off the floor and shoved it in my pocket.

“Thank you.” I leaned over and kissed him. His lips were cool. He’d obviously had a few sips of his chocolate shake. My lips lingered on his. The coolness was refreshing.

When I pulled away, Ethan smiled. “Note to self—buy Sam more milkshakes.”

I ate my fries and downed my milkshake before we made it to the diner. I was full and my insides were blissfully cool. Things were looking up.

“You know, I actually like working at the diner.” Ethan slurped the remains of his shake. “Jackson’s great, and I like cooking. If we could afford food at the house, I’d cook for you all the time.”

“That sounds heavenly.” I pictured Ethan cooking in our kitchen. Of course, in my mind he was shirtless while he was doing it.

“How are you liking the job?” He turned to look at me. He was always trying to make sure I was okay with the way our new life was going. He knew school wasn’t the greatest for me, so he was hoping I loved the job at the diner as much as he did.

“Gloria’s great, and the tips are good. Well, most of the time anyway.” I thought of Nora, who hadn’t given me a single tip. That reminded me she owed Gloria for her last bill. “I hope Nora doesn’t show up tonight.”

“Who’s Nora?”

“That girl who comes in every day and only orders coffee.”

He shrugged, not sure who I was talking about.

“She has jet-black hair and bleached-blonde eyebrows. You must have seen her.”

He shook his head.

“She always wears a green dress.”

“Sorry, don’t know her. Does she go to our school?”

Good question. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen her there, but that doesn’t mean much. It’s a big school, and we’ve only been there for two days.”

“Ask her.”

“I try not to talk to her. She’s…strange. And she never tips me. I got into it with her yesterday because she skipped out on her bill the night before. I got her to pay me, but then she ran out without paying for the bill she’d just rung up. It wasn’t much, only coffee, but still.”

Ethan smirked. “I’d be surprised if she shows up again. Gloria must be pissed.”

“Actually, I think Gloria was more mad at me.”

He narrowed his brow. “That doesn’t make sense. She took your side against Shannon.”

“I know, but I did let a customer walk out without paying. Twice.”

“I see your point.” Ethan pulled into the diner and parked. He shut the car off and turned to me. “Let me know if Nora shows up tonight. I’ll set her straight.”

“Are you kidding me? The second I turn my back on her, she’ll probably steal the coffee pot and run.” I laughed, letting him know I’d be fine. I’d figure out a way to deal with Nora—if she even showed up.

Saturdays at the diner were like Super Bowl Sunday at a sports bar. Beyond crazy. Poor Gloria looked frazzled and about to drop. I stashed my purse behind the counter and grabbed my apron.

“Sit,” I told Gloria, as I took the tray of food from her hands. “Which table?”

She pointed to the booth in the corner before slumping onto the only open stool at the counter.

I headed over, trying to look like I had this waitress thing down pat. “Okay, who had the bacon cheeseburger with sweet potato fries?”

The table of people looked up at me, most likely wondering who I was.

“I’m Sam. I’ll be taking over for Gloria. Now, about that bacon cheeseburger?”

The guy nearest me raised his hand like he was in a classroom. I stifled a laugh as I placed the plate in front of him.

“Reuben?”

“Here,” said a girl across the table.

I delivered the rest of the orders and tucked the tray under my arm. “Anything else I can get for you right now?”

Everyone shook their heads, already digging into the food.

“I’ll be back to check on you in a bit.”

I did that about thirty more times, introducing myself to tables Gloria had already seated and placed orders for. No one complained about the staff change, probably because I could zip around the diner at four times Gloria’s speed.

Once everyone was eating, I got a glass of water and placed it on the counter in front of Gloria. “It’s hot today, and it’s even hotter when you’re running around. Drink this. I don’t want you dehydrating on me.” I thought of the alert on the radio. I couldn’t lose Gloria to heat exhaustion.

“Thanks, Samantha. You are a lifesaver.”

I swallowed hard. If she only knew how wrong she was. The only life I saved was my own, and at the cost of others’. And here I was trying to act normal, making myself forget what I really was.

“Um, waitress,” someone called.

I snapped my head up. The voice came from the other end of the counter. I saw her green dress before I saw her face. Nora.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I stormed over to her, leaving Gloria looking after me and wondering what was wrong.

“I hope you came to pay your bill.”

Without a word, she took a small change purse from the pocket of her dress and counted out the exact price of a cup of coffee.

“Thanks for the tip,” I said, swiping the change off the counter.

I let her sit there, without coffee, for ten minutes, while I helped everyone else in the place. Finally Gloria gave me a look. I didn’t see what the big deal was. Nora never spent more than $1.75. It wouldn’t be any big loss if she stopped coming. But I didn’t want to upset Gloria, so I picked up the coffee pot and brought it to the end of the counter. I grabbed a cup from the shelf and put it in front of Nora. But I didn’t pour the coffee.

“What, am I supposed to serve myself now?” she asked.

“$1.75.”

“You haven’t even given me my coffee yet. Why should I pay you?”

“Because you have a reputation for drinking and running. $1.75 or no coffee.”

She huffed at me, but she took out her purse again and slammed a dollar and three quarters on the counter. I wondered how she always had exact change. She couldn’t even accidentally tip me.

I took the money and poured the coffee. As I passed Gloria on my way back to the coffee station, she clapped her hands.

“What?”

“Nicely played. I knew you’d figure out a way to handle her.”

I smiled. Just like that, I was forgiven. I poured Gloria another glass of water before checking on my tables.

The hours flew by. The crowd never lightened. My feet were screaming as I wiped down the counter after the last customer left. When I got to the spot where Nora had been sitting, I picked up her cup, revealing a yellow Post-it note.

No way! Nora was the one leaving me the notes?

I turned it over.

I know what you are.